1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a power generating station comprising a high-temperature reactor, a steam power generating station connected to the high-temperature reactor and a plant for generating hydrogen from carbon-containing material, a coal gasifier for the hydrogenating coal gasification, a gas purifier for treating the gas stream of the coal gasifier, a low-temperature gas separation plant following the gas purifier, a tubular cracking furnace for cracking a methane/steam mixture, which furnace is connected to the methane line of the gas separation plant and is heated by the heat transport medium of the high-temperature reactor, and a gas processing plant which is connected to the exhaust gas line of the tube cracking furnace, consisting of at least one heat exchanger, a conversion plant and a carbon dioxide scrubbing plant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The economic advantages of a power generating station, in which the heat generation of a high-temperature reactor is utilized not only for the generation of steam for a steam power generating plant, but also for operating a tube cracking furnace for decomposing a methane/hydrogen mixture obtained by the hydrogenating coal gasification, are known. Here, the high temperature of the heat transport medium of a high-temperature reactor can be utilized not only for generating steam but additionally also for producing carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen gas. In conjunction with such a plant, it is also known to convert the exhaust gas of a tube cracking furnace into hydrogen and carbon dioxide gas in a converting plant, while feeding-in steam, and to remove the carbon dioxide gas by means of a carbon dioxide scrubber connected thereto from the gas stream. The remaining hydrogen gas could be used in such a power generating station concept as desired after subtracting the recirculating amount of hydrogen required for the hydrogenating coal gasification.
However, with such a power-generating station concept, the residual coke remaining in the hydrogenating coal gasification could no longer be burned economically in power-generating station boilers because of its relatively high sulfur content in view of the presently applicable sulfur dioxide emission limits. Also the gasification of this residual coke in a helium-heated steam gasifier would encounter problems regarding the materials and reaction technology.